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A. O. H. HARDENSTEIN, CLINTON,A MISSISSIPII, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND MARCELLUS A. FOUTE, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

Letters Patent No. 82,714, dated October 6, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN EXPLOSIVE PROJBGTILBS.

To ALL wHoM 1T MAY coNennN: 4

Be it known that I, A. O. H. HARDNSTEIN, of Clinton, in the county of Hinds, inthe State of Mississippi,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Projecti-les for Cannon; and I hereby `declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- I Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said projectile as when ready/for use. Figure 2, a longitudinal section of the same; and Figure 3 a detached view of one of the parts of-the projectile. My improved projectile is designed exclusively for rifle-guns, and, by virtue of'its peculiarities of construction, I secure, among other minor advantages, the important object of av spiral motion in its ight, the certain ignition of its fuse before it leaves the gun, and consequently its explosion, when it reaches the object at which it is aimed, with absolute certainty.

My invention will be' at once and .clearly understood'by referring to the drawings, on.which, at all the figures, the same letters denote the same parts. f

In the fabrication of my projectile, as many grooves are cast around its circumference as there are rifles ending precisely withthe line of the or grooves in the gun, the line of the direction of such grooves corresp grooves in the bore of the gun, to receive the wedge-shaped iron bars A, which, faced with sheet lead on their upper surfaces, are designe the rotary motion that is necessary to secure accuracy i plish this purpose will be better understood after certain other parts of my improvement Around the projectile, at or-near the point at which it begins to assume a conical termination, an encircling groove, B, may also be cast in it to receive a loaden band, C, the object of which,is` to secure an exact coincidence between the axes of the projectile and the axis'of the gun whilst the former is inthe latter, and thus to prevent tumbling or deflection on the part of the former in its flight through the air.

In some kinds of guns, however, no such provision as the'ban projectile for such guns, the groove to receive it may be dispensed with.

n its flight. The manner in which the bars A accomhave been described.

d to follow the grooves in the bore of the gun, 'and thus to force the projectile intov d C is requisite, and in' manufacturing the At the base orl rear end of my projectile there is a' slight extension, D, of reduced diameter, as shown, i

relatively to the body ofthe projectile, around which there is a groove or depression, a, to secure the expanding cup E firmly in its place. This cup E is made of lead, is Acast upon vthe shell, and is distinguished `by some novel features of construction, which will be more appropriately described when I come to explain the objectsintended to be subserved by them. v

The point or front end of the projectile and its base are both provided with openings, in which female screws are cut in order that a fuse-plug may .be secured in the one, and a tube, H,'in the other, at the point G, to serve as a guide for an appliance hereafter to be described, mat and tube to establish the connection. Though difering in size, as shown by the drawings,t these openings are precisely coincident with the axis or centre of the projectile.

An annular fuse, J, envelops the front end of-'the tube H, completely filling the space between said tube and the internal surface of the fuse-plug F, for the entire length of the latter.' The lling of the` shell may be effected through the opening around tube I-I, beforethe fuse-plug'aud fuse are inserted.

The fuse-plug F projects slightly beyond the point of the shell, and thus affords'a means of securing'a.' covering-cap, L, over the same by any suicient method of fastening. sides with a suiiicient number of` small holes for the admission ofair to support the com for the escupe of the products ofthe combustion thereof.

' A rod, M, which is formed to receive a percussion-cap on its rear end to a circular plate-metal disk, N, is inserted into the tube H, as show ch male screws being cut on said fuse-plug he axes ofboth its front end, .and which is-securely attached yat n atg. 2, andconstitutesfth'e The covering-cap L is perforated on its' bustion of the fuse, and

means for igniting the fuse. The diameterL of the disk N is thc same as that of the shell, and its object is to secure the rod M in position until the gun is Bred, then tm drive it forward and explode the percussion-cap by bringing it into contact with the inner surface of the covering-cap L, and also to expand, mechanically or by positive pressure, the expanding cup E, and drive forward the bars A, and thus to prevent the escape of the gas, and at the same time give a spiral motion to the projectile. j

In order to expand the cup E, the front face of the disk N is provided with a very fiat truncated conical projection, 0, as shown in figs. 1 and 2. The cup E is provided with three or more projecting lugs, P, nea'r the ends of which are notches, looking towards the centre, into which the edge of the disk N-fits, and so thc said disk is held in position. To get the disk in its place, as shown on the drawing, it is necessary that it shall be notched at as many points on its perimeter as there are lugs P, which, after passing through said notches, securely hold the disk in place on its being turned a little way to the right or to the left upon its aXis, to change the relation ofthe lugs and the notches.

The groove-closing bars A, being thinner at their front ends than at any other point, and oi' true wedgeform, it is obvious that if' they be drawn out beyond the base of the projectile, the diameter ofthe same will be diminished in precise proportion to the extent of such withdrawal, and 'that hence it follows that if the diameter ofthe projectile be ordered so as to have that relation to the boro of the gun as will just admit ofthe introduction of the former into the latter when the bars A are drawn back, as shown at fig. 1, the grooves or'rifles of the bore will be completely lled up by the bars the instant they are driven forward suiiciently to bring their rear extremities up to the base of the projectile by the eiiplosion of the powder, and that they must follow the said groovesto the muzzle ofthe gun, and'therefore necessarily impart a spiral motion to the projectile.

The bars A, and indeed all the other novel parts of my invention, as delineated on the drawings, are merely illustrative, for it is clear that the form of the same may be modified without at all affecting the general principles underlying the construction of the projectile when considered as an entirety.

It is also obvious that the space for holding the powder to explode the projectile may be divided into compartments, and that canister-shot or the like may be'introduced, if thought expedient, into one of the same, to increase the destructive effect of the'explosion of the shell; and instead of igniting the fuse by meansof a percussion-cap on the bar or rod M, a needle-friction device may he employed as a substitute in lieu thereof, the novel characteristic of my improvement, in this particular part or regard, consisting of the ignition o' the fuse by the action of the rod M, and not in the means of producing tire to effect such ignition.

The chargeof powder to drive the projectile from the gun may be attached to the base of the same by means of a shallow groove around the expanding cup E, or by any other usual method.

The operation of my invention is as follows, to wit: Allits parts having been adjusted as shown at iig. l, which, it will be observed, involves the creation or existence of an open space between the disk N and the base ofthe projectile, marked R, and the propelling-charge of powder being attached at its base, (the projectiles,) the whole is inserted in the gun. When the gun is fired, the explosion ofthe propelling-charges of powder drives the disk N against the base ofthe projectile, and causes it to drive the bars A forward, Whilst at thesame time,

through the agency of the projecting part G, an expansion of the cup E is elected, and all the objects sought are eiectually accomplished.

The percussion-cap need not be placed on the rod M until the projectile is to he inserted in the gun, and

hence there is no danger of explosion inthe transportation or handling of the projectile from accidental causes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. The combination of the disk N and rod M with a projectile, substantially as herein described, when these parts are constructed and operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The wedge-formed bars A, in combination with a projectile, substantially as herein described, when the same are constructed and operated substantially as herein described, for the purpose set'fortb.

3. The bars A, in combination with the disk N, when these several parts are constructed and operate as herein described, in connection with a projectile, substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth;

A. D. H. HARDENSTEIN. Witnesses:

EDWARD MILNOR, RUFUS R. RHODES. 

